Health News

Team IDs 2 pathways through which chromosomes are rearranged

Date: Sep-10-2013
Biologists reported in Nature that they have identified two pathways through which chromosomes are rearranged in mammalian cells. These types of changes are associated with some cancers and inherited disorders in people. "Our finding provides a target to prevent these rearrangements, so we could conceivably prevent cancer in some high-risk people," said senior author Edward P. (Paul) Hasty, D.V.M., of the School of Medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio...

Researchers uncover genetic cause of childhood leukemia

Date: Sep-10-2013
For the first time, a genetic link specific to risk of childhood leukemia has been identified, according to a team of researchers from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, University of Washington, and other institutions. The discovery was reported online in the journal Nature Genetics. "We're in unchartered territory," said study author Kenneth Offit, MD, MPH, Chief of the Clinical Genetics Service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering. "At the very least this discovery gives us a new window into inherited causes of childhood leukemia...

Disparities in lung function found worldwide may impact health

Date: Sep-10-2013
A global study led by McMaster University researchers has found large differences in lung function between healthy people from different socioeconomic and geographical regions of the world which could impact their health. The highest lung function was found in individuals from North America and Europe. This was followed by South America, Middle East, China, sub-Saharan Africa, Malaysia and South Asia. South Asians had the lowest lung function, by 30% compared to North Americans and Europeans...

Copper surfaces 'rapidly destroy norovirus'

Date: Sep-10-2013
Scientists say they have discovered that copper and copper alloy surfaces are capable of destroying the highly contagious sickness bug, norovirus, according to a study published in the journal PLOS ONE. Norovirus is the most common trigger of gastroenteritis, causing individuals to experience stomach pain, vomiting, nausea and diarrhea. The infection is at its most prominent during winter months but can be contracted all year round...

Fumes from military small arms lead to decline in lung function

Date: Sep-10-2013
Exposure to fumes released during the firing of military small arms can lead to a decline in lung function, according to a new study. The research, presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Annual Congress in Barcelona on 9 September 2013, suggests that members of the armed forces who are regularly firing small arms could be putting their lung health at risk. Over the last 5 years, the armed forces in Norway have started to report ill health after live firing training...

Canada needs to focus on maternal suicide

Date: Sep-09-2013
Canada needs to do more to understand and prevent maternal suicide, with regular in-depth audits of deaths and vigilance of health care providers to detect postpartum depression, states an editorial in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). The recent suicide of a mother in Manitoba and the deaths of her two young children have focused attention on the link between postpartum depression and suicide. The United Kingdom and other countries conduct case-by-case analyses of maternal deaths to understand causes, but Canada does not...

Could low salt intake increase mortality risk?

Date: Sep-09-2013
We have long heard that too much salt can be bad for our health. But now, researchers have found that low levels of chloride, a component found in salt, could actually increase the risk of mortality and heart disease in those suffering from hypertension. Researchers from the University of Glasgow in Scotland analyzed data of almost 13,000 patients with high blood pressure over a 35-year follow-up period, from the early 1970s until 2011...

E-cigarettes as effective as patches in helping smokers quit

Date: Sep-09-2013
E-cigarettes show about the same rate of success in helping smokers quit as nicotine patches, according to the results of a trial that compared both methods against a placebo. The findings were presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Annual Congress in Barcelona, Spain, and were also published online in The Lancet. The researchers say theirs is only the second controlled study to evaluate the effectiveness of e-cigarettes but the first to compare them against nicotine patches...

Formerly obese teens at risk for eating disorders

Date: Sep-09-2013
When obese teenagers lose weight, family and friends usually look at this as a positive improvement for their health. But new research from the Mayo Clinic shows that overweight teens who lose weight can also be at risk of developing anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa. The findings, published online in the journal Pediatrics, reveal that the positive reactions from friends, family and even medical professionals may be the very reason such eating disorders are not detected at an earlier stage...

First ever federally-funded national smoking cessation campaign in USA helps at least 100 000 smokers to quit

Date: Sep-09-2013
A comprehensive evaluation of the first ever federally-funded national smoking cessation campaign in the USA has revealed that the campaign may have helped at least 100 000 people in the USA to give up smoking, according to new results published in The Lancet...